Wind Concerns Ontario is a province-wide advocacy organization whose mission is to provide information on the potential impact of industrial-scale wind power generation on the economy, human health, and the natural environment.

Residents, municipality fed up with MOECC on turbine noise complaints

“Years of testing, but never any results”

A Kincardine area couple has filed hundreds of formal reports of excessive noise and vibration from nearby wind turbines with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), but has never had any resolution of the problem.

CTV’s Scott Miller interviewed the Walpole family and learned of their plight. The vibrations in the home are so strong, they said, light bulbs come loose in their sockets.

The Walpoles have filed more than 200 reports with the government and are told testing is ongoing, but somehow, the tests are never completed, and the problem continues.

The Municipality of Kincardine is frustrated by the MOECC’s apparent inaction and failure to resolve residents’ problems, says the Mayor in the CTV interview.

Last week, a representative of the MOECC appeared before Kincardine Council to answer questions on the situation. Rick Chappell, manager in the Owen Sound District Office, claimed there was a backlog in the Ministry’s processing of reports.

The wind power project in Kincardine has been operating for more than eight years.

Earlier this year, Wind Concerns Ontario received documents from the MOECC with records and staff notes on wind turbine noise reports to the Ministry, which showed that there was no response to more than half the complaints made and in fat, only one percent received a “priority response.” The Ministry was aware of hundreds of complaints even before the Green Energy Act was passed in 2009, which facilitated the development of even more utility-scale or industrial-scale wind power projects in Ontario.

At present, with thousands of unresolved reports of noise and vibration, and questions of interference with water supply, the MOECC is in the process of considering Renewable Energy Approvals for five more projects.

The recording of Mr Chappell’s appearance before Kincardine Council is now available here, after minute 11.

It’s called “misfeasance” or “malfeasance” and, yes. Please see our report from May of this year, in which we document the fact that field officers with the MOECC made observations about excessive noise and adverse health effects, but were apparently blocked from action by management.

What happens to the HPPA Health investigation. It is now called a “study”. Is Dr Klassen now the Medical officer of health for Huron County? Who is responsible for health of the citizens of Huron County?

Potential Merger of Huron and Perth Health Units
Takes Next Step

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Perth and Huron Counties ̶ Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) announced proposed regulatory changes to the Health Protection and Promotion Act, which pave the way for a merger of the Perth District Health Unit and the Huron County Health Unit. The changes need to happen before next steps in planning an amalgamation can move forward.

“These proposed regulatory changes show that there is support at the provincial level for a Huron and Perth health unit merger,” explains Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health for the Perth District Health Unit and Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Huron County Health Unit. The regulation must be passed in order to approve any funding for the merger.

The Huron and Perth Amalgamation Steering Group and Boards of Health will be providing the government with additional details to put in the regulation, for example the name of the new health unit and composition of the new Board.

“If the proposed regulatory changes pass cabinet approval in January, then we expect that the next step would be for the Ministry to approve funding for a merger,” says Dr. Klassen. “If the funding is approved, then the merger would proceed.” In 2017, the health units commissioned the Lough Barnes Amalgamation Feasibility and Planning Report, which would be used to guide the merger transition.

The regulation changes are posted for public comment until January 4, 2018, prior to Cabinet approval.

Somebody pinch me, this has to be a nightmare.
We just did a service call and replaced 2 broken solar panels. We had no idea and noone told me that they have been declared hazardous and now they must be sealed in some sort of container and transported to Sarnia, the only sealed containment disposal site in Ontario.
Whattahell is gallium arsenic anyway?
Apparently just the runoff from a broken solar panel is toxic.
Who knew?
Bit off topic but the government buildings and schools were covered in these things after the Liberals passed the Green Energy Act and gave the grant money out to do it.
OMG they just can’t be right.
Dalton where are you?
Help us out here!
Stan the power man